Consisting of Sheisty Khrist and CunninLynguists members Deacon the Villain and Natti, the Off Daze released their ten-track debut (\u201cCouple\u2019s Skate\u201d) in 2018. Though acclaimed in reputable hip-hop circles for its buoyant lyrics and upbeat sound, \u201cCouple\u2019s Skate\u201d largely went under the radar. The inspiration for their second album eight years later had innocent beginnings. All three emcees are from Kentucky and decided to take a nosedive into the musical history of their home state. From New Birth to Midnight Star to Cage the Elephant, their immersion in different eras and genres of Kentucky\u2019s musical scene triggered an evolution for the group. Under a challenge to re-interpret songs from KKKY, the Off Daze released a thirteen-track concept album entitled \u201cThese Old Kentucky Roads\u201d. Natti and Deacon are no strangers to applying high concepts to their albums, the group\u2019s sophomore album begins with a late-night drive and radio broadcasting transmissions throughout. The transmissions manifest as the twelve subsequent tracks, tracks which pay homage to their home state but with their own spin. Entirely produced by Deacon the Villain, the music blends live instrumentation and includes several local Kentucky acts like Rob Jackson and Black Coffey.<\/p>\n
\u201cStatic Signal\u201d is the aforementioned intro with the radio broadcast. The audio is cinematic, complete with elements of pouring rain, a moving vehicle, and a driver searching through radio stations for some road tunes. It ends with \u201cThe old Kentucky roads lead everywhere, you found the signal\u2026<\/em>\u201d and that\u2019s the cue for the music to drop, starting with \u201cFollow Me\u201d. Featuring crooning vocals of Black Coffey, Natti begins the first rapped verse, using his deep south flow filled with wordplay, Kentucky references, and observations. Sheisty Khrist has a greater faculty for multis and comes with them with seemingly no effort: \u201cMama a fuckin\u2019 saint, daddy a dope fiend\/ If mom was a heroine, guess daddy got morphine \/ And not the Mighty Morphin shot up nightly watchin\u2019 fight endorphins \/ the night engulfed us \/ some figured that we might be orphans.<\/em>\u201d Rob Jackson helms the third verse and laces it with local social commentary.<\/p>\n \u201cNo Parking on the Dance Floor\u201d is mood music, danceable<\/em> mood music with melodic horns, synth keys, and multi-tracked vocals from Deacon. As far as the raps go, it\u2019s a solo track with just Natti. He employs a double-time flow for his verse which consists of spitting game at women on the dance floor in night clubs. \u201cAll Your\u2019n\u201d has Deacon on the hook with Natti and Sheisty giving a rapped re-interpretation of the Tyler Childers song of the same name. On \u201cCome a Little Closer\u201d, there\u2019s an almost boom-bap sound to the beat and it also incorporates vocals from a children\u2019s choir for the hook. It\u2019s also noted for being the first time on the album that Deacon grabs the mic. His flow has a church-trained melody that adds to the poignancy of his bars: \u201cIf man escaped time, would he escape death? \/ Or are we all dying because we all take breaths \/ We closer to apes than we are to our apex.<\/em>\u201d Deacon goes solo on \u201cDon\u2019t\u201d, largely singing rhymed lyrics of love and connection.<\/p>\n A Niggaz With Latitude reunion occurs on \u201cHigher\u201d with just Deacon and Sheisty, the latter even refers to it as part three to their 2010 track \u201cAscension\u201d. Lyrically, it\u2019s made of a verse from Sheisty and background vocals from Deacon. This combo continues on \u201cCheers 2 U\u201d, with rapped bars from both men and Sheisty hilariously boasting \u201cevery time I hit it from the back, call GEICO<\/em>\u201d. The soulful \u201cIt\u2019s Been a Long Time\u201d has several vocals interspersed throughout the song. Some are sampled, some are live such as Goldblooded\u2019s singing. The song functions as something of duet between Goldblooded and Natti, highlighting the ups and downs of an intense relationship:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n